Frustrated at Fort Macon

hawkman

Eight Pointer
Headed out to Ft Macon with the family yesterday, driving separate vehicles which is new for us and I'm glad we did it. I didn't realize you couldn't swim that close to the coast guard end of the beach, so the family went on to EI per our usual routine. I had picked up some live mullet at Chasin' Tails (not large) and fished Carolina rigged mullet with son. My neighbors on each side were fishing with shrimp and each caught at least one flounder. (The guy to my right said he caught what he thought was a seabass as well). The couple to my left were up against the wall that separates the park from the USCG station. The lady there caught some flounder on a bottom rig with cut shrimp. I cast a Gotcha a few times when terns were diving nearby, and I cast a Gulp white mullet for awhile as well.

I think we were there a few hours before high tide and stayed for maybe 4 hours. My turn against the wall came about 2+ hours after high tide.

Also, I was there mid-day from 12-430 or so. Admittedly this isn't the best time to fish...

The only time I think I got a hit was on the mullet, but I reacted too fast. The mullet was intact but had tooth marks. I could not replicate this again. However, I did seem to get that "flounder grab" numerous times, but I think it was the cable that lies on the bottom there. I'd feel the line go tight as I slowly retrieved that rig. I counted to 10, 20, 30, no matter what it didn't turn it into a flounder. It was like I was pulling it over something, sometimes even being a snag. It always came off.

Holy mother of frustration. I'm trying my hardest out there with nothing to show for it. We supposedly live in this land of fishing bounty but a day's work and no fish? It's gotta be me, yet even a blind squirrel ought to find an acorn now and again!! (I just want a 5 to 10 lb acorn!)

Any one else struggle at times?

My wife asked me "how much have you spent on fishing this year do you think?". I said "a lot" (which is relative, to many of you I've spent very little probably). She said "fishing with your son is important and you should do it but why don't you hire a guide sometime to help or maybe to get you that bigger flounder or trout you so desire?" Hmmmm. She might be on to something here. However, I don't want to be given a nice fish. I also don't own a boat, so "learning" from a guide on a boat would be great, but I couldn't translate it immediately to what I do on a non-existent boat....

Sorry for the rant against myself and the pity-party request. I just need one person who sometimes feels this way.
 
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FishHunt

Old Mossy Horns
Buy or rent a fishing kayak and fish the middle marshes between Beaufort & Harkers Island. It might take a couple of trips to figure out the fishing there but it's worth putting in the time.

Edit: You can rent a kayak and get good up to date fishing advice and tackle/bait at Down East Kayaks http://www.downeastkayaks.com/

<>< Fish
 
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Wildlifer

Old Mossy Horns
I fished a half day Sunday in a few good places for drum and flounder with no luck. The only drum I saw was when I was catching bait. It happens and that's fishing. The advice I can give is fish the mullet on a carolina rig which it sounds like you are doing. I prefer mud minnows over mullet if you can get them. fish it just like a worm and if you feel a bite, even if its just a tight line just make sure you let him take it. Set the hook with an almost sweeping motion, non of that bill dance fall out of your chair stuff. Fish your bait all the way to dry sand, I can't tell you how many I have caught laid right up in the surf. The last thing is take a walk. The inlet isnt always the best place to fish that's just where EVERYONE goes. Walk down the beach and look for a bar and slough, a steep part of the beach or anything different. If you can find an area where the waves break on a bar then die out as they roll over a deep spot before crashing right one the beach you're in a good spot. The only place better would be if that bar had a break in it, what makes a rip current. Good luck on the rest of your trip.
 

Justin

Old Mossy Horns
People talk about that flounder "grab". 90% of the ones I've caught have nailed it and wasn't much hesitation. Remember as far as tooth marks go, it's salt water, everything has teeth lol. Hook sets are free, as my bro n law says. There are some lizard fish out there that can fool ya, pinfish too, but most flounder I've caught seem to have comit to the bait pretty hard.
 
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hawkman

Eight Pointer
People talk about that flounder "grab".

I'm with you 100%. Normally, I'm fishing grubs in the Pamlico and I set the hook as you say. My recent crush on John Skinner has me a firm believer in it. I had just read so much about flounder, live bait, and counting to whatever, that i was giving it my best effort to see if that was my problem.
 

23mako

Ten Pointer
Don't be discouraged. It's just not a great time to be surf fishing right now. Go back to that same spot this fall and there will be plenty of fish where the ledge drops off into the channel.
 

recoil

Eight Pointer
You weren't holding your mouth right! Flounder are some weird eaters. Some flounder hit it and run and some flounder grab it and sit on it. There is an art to catching them but every now and then someone gets lucky and finds a acorn. Flounder fishing always equals seroious trash talking on my boat.
 
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hawkman

Eight Pointer
Don't be discouraged. It's just not a great time to be surf fishing right now. Go back to that same spot this fall and there will be plenty of fish where the ledge drops off into the channel.

Thanks. It always sounds like a different time is the best time to fish! :)
 
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